1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a scoring device for sports events, and more particularly relates to a scoring device for use in the game of tennis.
Scoring for the game of tennis is quite different from scoring in golf, baseball, bowling, football and other sporting events. In the typical sports event the scoring is usually additive. In the game of tennis, however, scoring is additive and subtractive and involves totalizing game scores which result from an accumulation of a given number of point scores. The sequence of point scoring consists of "love" (which is zero) "15", "30", "40", "ADD", in particular "ADD IN" (ball server's advantage) and ADD OUT (ball receiver's advantage), and "GAME". A "40--40" tie score is normally termed "DEUCE". Thus, the scoring of the game can be both additive or subtractive. The addition of two consecutive points past the 40--40 score results in the winning of the game.
The game score must also be scored. The first team to win six games is the winner of a set, but the team must win by two games to win the set. For example, if a set goes to a six-six tie in games, the set is played until two games more than the other side are won by one team. Additionally, it is not uncommon for a match to go to the winner of, for example, two out of three sets.
Thus, as can be seen from the foregoing, keeping score in the game of tennis can be complicated, particularly for the novice tennis player.
2. Prior Art
While tennis scoring devices and wrist worn scoring devices are known, such devices generally use complicated mechanisms in which knobs or buttons are used to activate a series of gears which in turn operate indicators. Most of these mechanisms are relatively complicated to manufacture, are not particularly durable and, because of their complexity, may not be manufactured cheaply enough to be put into widespread use.
Additionally, other type scoring devices used for other type sporting events are not suitable for the relatively complicated manner of scoring tennis.
Several prior art scoring devices are exemplified by the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 753,457; 3,635,190; 3,777,699; 3,847,110; 3,936,963; 3,986,715; and 4,069,954.
Of these aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos., 3,777,699, 3,936,963 and 3,986,715 relate to scoring devices used in the game of tennis.